Reaver
Reaver (WARNING! DANGEROUS) Common Names: Rock Devils, Gold Hunters, Thousand Teeth Location: Scattered through out the rolling rock and sand deserts to the south and west of The Dead Zone. They rarely reach the middle of Utah and are nowhere close to Greyfell. Physical Description: Size/Weight: Male ~4ft high, 8-10ft long, ~250-300lbs. Female ~5.5ft high, 10-12 ft long, 300-400 lbs. Large, predatory lizards whose size hides surprising reflexes. Their long bodies and stubby legs would fool the unwary by appearing slow, but those legs can propel the beast several yards in a single bound. Not to mention, the long club-like tail is capable of damaging blunt force trauma. Their rounded heads can split wide to engulf most smaller animals. The reavers are covered with a thick, beaded hide capable of deflecting most blows and blades with little injury to the reaver. The beads are normally an alternating series of black and yellow bands, but it has been reported that reavers can shift the coloration of these beads to blend into their environment for attack and defense. In addition to the thick hide, reavers have two clusters of spines along the dorsal flanks of the abdomen. These spines have a thin, vascular membrane stretched over them for a dual purpose of cooling and hiding. The spines can articulate to whip up sand and disappear into the landscape The mouth of the reaver is a deep violet or black and hemmed in by regenerating rows of several dozen needle-like teeth. Small grooves in the teeth allow the injection of a paralytic neurotoxin to incapacitate prey. The smell of acrid venom and rotting flesh creates a distinct odor around the beast. Pre-war archives seem to point that the reavers are mutated offspring of tiny lizards known as Gila monsters. Behavior: Reavers are primarily nocturnal, lazily listing across basking rocks and burrows during the day. At night, they stalk their prey with out end. On the hunt, reavers will pursue via scent, sight and sound. If they acquire a target, they will close quietly and attempt to tackle the target using claw and tooth to pin it. However, if challenged, reavers will exhibit some self-preservation and intelligence through feints, cloaking and camouflage. Little else has been reported due to a lack of survivors either brave or stupid enough to want to be close to the reaver. Socially, they are matriarchal. The larger and more unpredictably aggressive females will carve out breeding territories for their immediate descendants. Males roam freely from partner to partner, usually looping through several territories. They are rarely seen in a group of any size, preferring to keep to themselves. Diet: Reavers will attack any creature smaller than themselves and attempt to swallow it whole. If needed, they will allow food to rot partially in order to consume it easier. They have even been seen cannibalizing their own young. Other cases show that reavers can even consume Techi Saguaro without ill side effects. Predators: The only animal capable of preying on full grown reavers are the Razor-toothed Blood Vipers. Category:Fauna